The present invention pertains generally to transmissions and particularly to a transmission for infinite speed changes.
Recent developments in mechanical transmissions, as opposed to fluid using transmissions, have been directed toward providing such a transmission with infinite speed ratios between input and output components to permit a power source to operate at all times at its most efficient speed. A shortcoming of known infinite speed transmissions is the use of belts or the like susceptible to rapid wear and, hence, periodic attention.
In the known prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,888 discloses a transmission wherein a pair of gear racks drive clutch equipped gears carried by an output shaft. Rectilinear movement is imparted to the gear racks by cams the eccentricity of which may be varied to impart strokes of different lengths to the reciprocating gear racks. According to the patent disclosure, the input and output shafts of the transmission are necessarily offset. A further drawback is that the transmission does not lend itself to enclosure within a housing of practical size.
U.S. Pat. No. 546,055 discloses a steam engine having driven cams carried by a common shaft with each cam rotating in a separate yoke to impart rotation to the cam equipped output shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,632 discloses a device for driving the pistons of a machine such as an air compressor which utilizes eccentrics and yoke structures disposed perpendicularly to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,050,226 discloses the concept of a cam actuated rod coupled to a yoke on which parallel rows of gear teeth sequentially drive an output shaft via a pair of unidirectional clutches.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,056 discloses a transmission wherein a pair of gear racks move in rectilinear alternating fashion to drive a crank equipped output shaft.